This invention relates to an improvement to a shaft furnace, and more particularly to improvements to the method and apparatus for discharging the furnace where the furnace feed is charged into the top of the furnace and the furnace product is discharged from the bottom of the furnace without undesirable crushing of the furnace product. The present invention is particularly advantageous for discharging a shaft furnace for direct reduction of lump iron ores, sinters or pellets, but may be applied for similar furnaces in many other fields.